Moonlight on Water
by Thessily Thessilonikki
Summary: Sequel/Prequel to Free. Aragorn uses a sleepless night as an excuse to meet his lovers near the river. Eowyn tries to justify ending the relationship. Aragorn/Eowyn, Legolas/Eowyn, Aragorn/Legolas.


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Disclaimer: All characters herein belong to Tolkien. I'm just playing in the sandbox. It's a sort of prequel to 'Free,' but not, as it takes place before some events, but after some of them.

::::WARNING:::: Please, please PLEASE make sure that you've read Free before you read this story. It's definitely a much better experience if you've read Free and know how this story fits in. And don't give me no crap about out of character-ness or anything like that, because I definitely write things my own way. Thank you, and READ THE OTHER ONE DAMMIT!

Moonlight on Water

Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor and hero of the War of the Ring strode down the wide steps into the courtyard of the royal house of Gondor, in the city of Minas Tirith. The hour was late, and the pale whiteness of the moonlight reflected off of the fountains in the center of the garden, shimmering on the White Tree.

Arwen, Queen of Gondor and the daughter of the Lord of Imladris, granddaughter of the Lady of the Wood, the ring-bearer Galadriel, slept fitfully in their quarters. She had banished her husband from their bed, as his sleepless tossing kept her from her own rest. It was as well, for had she not done so, he would not have the excuse he did to slip into the night.

Cloaked in the robes of the elves and hidden by moonlight, he slipped from his city as it slept, giving a solemn wave to the guards that kept watch over the gates. The horse he had taken bore him forth with a certain speed to the ancient stand of trees that bordered a stream near to the city.

There they waited for him, at the side of the river, their skin the color of moonlight on water, bodies entwined, leaving Aragorn to wonder where he ended and she began.

Thus Aragorn came upon them, the White Lady of Rohan, as she was once called, and the youngest Prince of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood. Legolas disengaged himself from the Lady and strode to Aragorn.

"I wondered when you would arrive," he said, twining one slender, pale hand in Aragorn's hair and drawing the King's lips to his own. "We were unable to wait."

The Lady Eowyn laughed and stood, her body flushed with pleasure in the soft moonlight. "I shall leave you for a time," she told them. "To catch up."

Aragorn watched her walk through the trees to the river, her blonde hair curling at the tops of her hips and swaying as she walked. Desire welled inside him, and he turned back to the elf, who watched him with eyes silvery in the moonlight.

"She expressed a desire for you and I to have the time together, as we see each other far less often than the Lady chances to visit your city," Legolas said, pressing his lips once more to Aragorn's,

"How very strange of her." Aragorn said, throwing his cloak from his shoulders and removing his leggings. He had not bothered with his tunic.

"She feels much guilt at her betrayal." Legolas said, trailing light fingers down his lover's skin. Aragorn pressed the elf to the ground beneath the flowering trees, fingers searching for the most intimate of places.

"She has betrayed no one," Aragorn said, not really feeling up to conversation, but wanting to get the whole truth from the elf.

"She betrays her husband by lying with another."

"Before she has never cared."

Aragorn swept his tongue across Legolas' ear, bringing an almost musical moan from the elf's lips. All conversation was lost in their desires and pleasures.

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/ Later /

"You do not have to come here," Aragorn said, walking carefully down the beach to where Eowyn sat upon a rock, the wind blowing her long hair around her, allowing Aragorn brief glimpses of her pale breasts in the silver moonlight.

"I cannot resist," She told him. "I have given it much thought, my Lord, and I think that we should not continue on this path."

"No?" Aragorn asked. He settled himself next to the Lady upon the rock, spreading one tanned, scarred hand over her pale, smooth ones.

"I will bear his child in the winter," Eowyn whispered. "I know this, know in my heart that it is his. I do love him, my Lord Aragorn. Yet I cannot let go of my freedom and be his alone."

"Then do not." Aragorn said, crushing his lips to hers, her arms coming from around her legs to wrap around him, to join with him like silver melting into bronze.

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/ Morning /

"Where did you sleep when you did not return to our bed?" Arwen asked as the handmaidens carefully plaited her hair and helped her on with her dress.

"I went for a ride," Aragorn told his Queen. "I could not sleep, and I hoped that riding through the country would settle my mind."

"And did it?"

"Most certainly, my love."

One of Eowyn's attendants burst into the room. "My Queen," the girl said, kneeling before Arwen, blonde hair pooling on the floor around her. "Your Highness," she said, acknowledging Aragorn. "My Lady requests your presence."

"Inform your lady that I will be there momentarily," Arwen said, standing from her dressing table and moving to the bed to collect her dressing gown. "If you would try to sleep love," she said, kissing Aragorn lightly on the cheek, "I will see that no one disturbs you."

"I care not to sleep," Aragorn said. "I shall dine with your newly arrived kin in the Great Hall," he said. "See that you do arrive."

The King and Queen of Gondor parted in the hallway, Arwen away to attend to the illness of a Lady with a secret, and Aragorn away without any words to his wife.


End file.
